The instrumental man

From the smallest harmonium that is known to be available in India to an organ that was made 100 years ago, one can find many rare traditional musical instruments at Ashok Kale’s house at Sadashiv Peth. A music teacher by profession, Kale has been collecting musical instruments for over years now, and after all these years, he has brought them out for public viewing.

Some of the rare music instruments from Ashok Kale’s collection

“I want people to know about these instruments. All this time, while I was collecting them, my only aim was to bring them out for people who are interested in music,” says Kale. Here’s little bit more about the instruments that caught our immediate attention:

Organ This 100-year-old organ has a rich history behind it. Balgandhrav has used this organ in a movie. It was made in 1912 by Entey Organ Company, USA; this organ is a fine example of the old form of the piano. These organs were used in churches, but when the piano arrived it got transferred to Marathi theatre. The organ is not manufactured any more.

Harmoniums Kale has a large collection of harmoniums. But one that got our attention immediate was the 2.5 octaves harmonium, the smallest harmonium known to be available in India. it comes with a total of 37 keys and is played using mouth.

Ashok Kale

Other attractions You can also see Reso Reso, an instrument which is played using comb, a Banjo, Kabash, Tashevi (used in Marathi folk music), Dimri which is played while performing prayers, Khanjiri, Chimpari used in Marathi kirtans, China Ball and a Ghatam. The collection also includes several other rarer musical instrument, whose age, even doesn’t seem to remember any more.

The instruments are on display at Kale’s house and open to all. But Kale doesn’t want these instruments to be an item to be admired from a distance. The avid collector is now also offering classes for wanting to learn how to play these instruments. So, are people interested in learning how to play these students? Of course, they are.

Kale teaches people of all ages — right from four-year-olds to sixty-year-olds. Currently, he runs two different batches, depending on the age of students. Whether or not history interests you, this exhibition is a must-attend for anyone with even the slightest inclination towards music or antique objects.